Chipotle and the Service Host

At Severn River Church we want part of the weekend service experience to include a service host. The service host is a person who helps people navigate the service. For several months Rob Noeth has done that job for us, but we're working him out of that position. For the next month or so Mike Jones has volunteered to help out with it. He'll be starting this Sunday. Yesterday I sat down with him and some other guys after the service to explain why it was so important to me that we have a service host and how it should be done. Here's kinda how the conversation went...

Have you ever been to Chipotle? I remember my first time in a Chipotle. I walked in expecting Taco Bell, but what I found was really different. I remember walking in and looking up and the menu and knew immediately that the menu was laid out in a different fashion than any fast food restaurant I had experienced. I stood confused; I'm sure with a "deer in the headlights" look. And then the manager who happened to be picking up trays or something near me said, "Can I help you?" I turned to this new-found friend and said, "Yes, I've never been here and I'm not sure what to order." He said that it was no problem and then he took me to the counter and took me step by step through the ordering process. What ended up happening is that I found one of my favorite restaurants, and had an unforgettable experience.

Have you been to the Noodle Co.? I went last week and the food was pretty good. I walked in and realized immediately that this restaurant was like Chipotle. The menu was laid out similarly, the decor was the same. But no one helped me. I stood there and was unsure of how I was supposed to order until the very last moment, then wondered if I had done it right. Like I said, the food was pretty good. But I don't think I'll go back.

So what does that have to do with service hosting? I think that many people feel the same way when they come into SRC. They come in with an unsure feeling, because it is not like other churches that they've been to or heard of. Sometimes I see them walking through the hall with the same confused look that I had in Chipotle. What stands between them having a good experience, even an unforgettable experience, and walking away saying, "That was ok, but I don't think I'll go back" is the person who steps up and says, "I will walk step by step through this with you." That person is the service host. The service host addresses the questions and fears of our guests. The service host fights confusion with clarity, by explaining exactly what the group norms are. The service host puts the person at ease knowing they can do what they're supposed to because they know what they're supposed to do. When it comes to hosting I'll take clear over cute any day. As long as it's presented with the guest in mind explaining what we're doing and why we're doing it. The rest is up to them and God. And they can eat that burrito however they want.

--Ben